Cryopreservation of banana’s cv Grand Naine in vitro rhizomes

ABSTRACT The preservation of banana genetic material is usually performed through seedlings. However, most banana cultivars do not produce seed and are propagated vegetatively. Therefore, cryopreservation is a feasible technique that allows the preservation of banana genotypes indefinitely. For the success of cryopreservation protocols, the selection of cryoprotectants and pre-freezing techniques are important factor. Therefore, the objective of this study was to verify the effects of different cryoprotectants with and without 1% phloroglucinol and pre-cooling periods on the development of a protocol for cryopreservation of in vitro rhizomes ofMusa accuminata(AAA) cv Grand Naine banana. The addition of 1% phloroglucinol to the cryoprotective solutions, such as PVS2 enhanced recovery of cryopreserved banana rhizomes. In addition, pre-cooling of explants in ice for 3 hours in PVS2 + 1% of phloroglucinol allowed efficient cryopreservation of banana rhizomes, followed by successful recovery and regeneration of in vitro shoots of banana cv Grand Naine.